A Way of Life
by JoBO
Summary: Everything goes wrong in Terry's life, but is it all so bad? Bruce has a heart failure and Terry is thrown out of the school. This was my first fanfic in English, so there is many mistakes. I'm working on it... slowly
1. The Heart NEW

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, etc._

_(Thanks for the nice reviews. I know there are many spelling mistake in this story, and the grammar isn't the best. I'm working with it right now – JoBO)_

* * *

**A Way of Life**

**1. The Heart**

The Batmobil cut through the clouds in the sky like a knife and flew high above Gotham's busy streets, where the citizens of the city were ending their long day. He allowed himself to lose control over the car for a second in order to test the new adjustments that Bruce just had installed the same evening, but just seconds before hitting the ground he easily got control over the car again and increased the speed. He loved the car so he was just about to do it again, when his conscience reminded him that his job was to patrol over the sleeping city and not playing around with the car. He was Gotham's protector and the citizens of Gotham counted with him being there for them in time of need. He was Batman.

He hastily typed the all too well known words down on the car's keyboard and a file appeared on the screen next to him. He began to read the file, which was about a minor criminal called Whiz Kid. He had read the file so many times before that he almost could it by heart, but still he really hoped that he had missed something, which could give him a lead to where Whiz Kid was hiding. Normally he wouldn't be that interested in a minor criminal like Whiz Kid, but this minor criminal's fingerprint had appeared on the crime scene of the last kidnapping. Maybe Whiz Kid was the key to end the series of kidnappings that had run through Gotham's wealthy societies for months.

Suddenly a red laser beam flashed through the night air and almost hit Batmobil, but thanks to Batman's quick reflexes it didn't happen. Immediately he turned the car around and flew over the area again. Just as he was over the building, where he believed the beam had been fired from, then he opened the hatch in the floor and jumped out of the car. Silently he landed on the dark roof of the building and quickly he began to look around. It wasn't very easy to move around on the roof because the building was some kind of experimental center, so there was a lot of weird research equipment on the roof.

Batman had just walked past a weird looking tube, which had a big sign saying sulphuretted hydrogen, when he saw two persons running in the opposite direction of him. He instantly began to follow them just as they disappeared behind some kind of drying machine, but in a few leaps he was over by the machine and walked past it. He then almost fell over a man, who was lying unconscious on the floor behind the machine. Batman immediately recognized the man as Whiz Kid, but it was clearly too late to ask him any question about the kidnappings tonight. Instead Batman then called the police, so Whiz Kid could be arrested.

Right away Batman heard the sirens coming so he was just about to walk away, when he saw that there was a card lying on the floor next to Whiz Kid. Carefully he picked the card up, so he wouldn't spoil any possible fingerprints, and read the only word on the card:

"Midnight."

o-

The Batmobil flew through the cave's opening and disturbed the sleeping bats, which had been resting in the cave through the day. Quickly they flew out of the dark cave and vanished in the falling sun as the Batmobil landed on the lighted platform, where Bruce normally would have been waiting for him, but this night Bruce was no where to be seen.

With a worry feeling inside him Batman jumped out of the Batmobil and a shiver ran down his spine as he took the hood off. It was always very dark in the cave and he like it in that way, but today the cave felt even darker that had done ever before and it was so strangely silent.

He was just about to walk over to the dressing room, when suddenly something inside him made him walk over to the Batcomputer. In front of the computer Batman's heart almost stopped beating as he recognized Bruce, who was lying on the floor with the face down and his normally so trustworthy cane broken beside him. Instantly he ran over to Bruce and turned him around as he checked Bruce's heartbeat with shaking hands.

Bruce was still alive, but he was barely holding on to his life.

Carefully Batman took the fragile old man into his arms and carried him up the stairs to the big mansion, where he very cautiously placed Bruce on the couch in the library. He then went over to the phone, where he still with shaking hands called the central after an ambulance. He cast a quick glance back at Bruce before he quickly changed into his normal clothes and put the suit away, so no one would discover their secret. He then walked back to Bruce and checked the heartbeat again just as the ambulance came up the driveway.


	2. The Waiting Room NEW

**  
2. The Waiting Room**

He walked around in the waiting room as he tried to get control over his thoughts, which almost forced his head to explode, but still it didn't help. This could definitely not be happing, but still it did as he had realized when the ambulance drove away from the mansion. Bruce had always been so strong and Terry admired him for that from the very first day they had met. He had never told it to Bruce, but that day he learnt that he never should judge a book by it's cover. Bruce had look like a weak, old man, but he had shown them that he wasn't so weak after all. It was that day that Terry had for the first time seen behind Bruce's new mask and had seen the strong soul behind it. Nothing could kill soul of Batman, but it was trapped in an old man's body. Bruce had always been such a strong figure in Terry's mind after that day, so Terry had completely forgot all about the heart.

He turned at the soda machine and was just about to walk back over to the door, when his mobile phone began to ring. He froze in the movement as the small part of normality struck his mind and he answered the phone half-hearted while his thoughts still was with Bruce. It was first, when she almost shouted his name into the receiver that he paid attention to the caller and realized that it was Dana. He could hear the anger in her voice, but all that didn't seem so important anymore so he didn't tried to stop her.

"Terry, this is definitely not working any longer. I'm so fed up with that you don't bother keeping your word anymore, but this is the last time. I don't want to be laughed at any longer, so I'm sorry, Terry, but it is over between us!"

She quickly hung up on him as he realized what just had happen, but just as he was about to call her back he heard the door to the waiting room being opened. He looked up and met a pair of deep blue eyes. They were so dark that it looked like all the sorrows in the world was behind them, but still there was something in them, which he instantly recognized. He couldn't put words on what it was, but still it was there and it made them so different from others.

The girl, who was the owner of the eyes, walked over to a chair and sat down with a sight as her eyes began to wander out in the dark concrete world outside the hospital. She had such calmness over her that it somehow made him sit down on a chair, but still he couldn't take his eyes away from her as he tried to figure out what he had seen in her eyes. There was something about her, which just like her eyes amazed him.

The hours past and soon the sun began to send the first small sunbeams in through the windows, which announced that the new day was coming, when suddenly the girl turned her head and looked Terry directly into the eyes. For a second he thought her eyes were green, but then he saw that they were blue like before.

"Is it funny?"

Her voice was very different to what he had expected. It sounded much greater that you would expect for a little girl like her and it felt like honey in his ears after so long in silence. He didn't know what he to say; therefore he didn't say anything and the girl became annoyed.

"What are you looking after?"

It was first then that he realized that he still was staring at her, so he quickly looked away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare, but it is just…"

His voice died as the memories from the night came back to him.

"It's your first time?"

Her voice was changed. It had lost all it's anger and was now full of sympathy, which made him look up and meet her eyes as he nodded.

"It doesn't get easier by time…"

She stopped in the middle of the sentence and broke the eye contact as she looked out of the windows and her eyes began to wander in the cold city again. He was just about to say something, when she continued.

"… I don't know how many times I have been here anymore, but it has been many… too many… and it doesn't get easier by time…"

She looked back at him and met his eyes as he saw them flame up with hate.

"… My mom wants to die, so she is trying to kill herself."

She looked down, but he had already seen the tears in her eyes, so he walked over to her and sat down on the chair next to her as took her hand to comfort her. First she was about to pull away from him, but then their eyes met and she relaxed. She wiped her eyes away and tried to send him a smile.

"Wasn't it me, who was comforting you?"

He smiled back to her, but it was only a small movement with his lips because of the dark shadow, which hang over the both of them.

"I think that we both need to be comforted. It is always very hard, when someone, who you care about, is hurting. He is only my boss, but still he is like a father for me."

She laid a supporting hand on his knee.

"I hope that his is going to be alright. You really sound like a nice guy, so I hope you aren't going to lose him. I have never hat a father figure in my life, so I don't know how it is lose one, but I hope that's never going to happen for you."

Suddenly Terry felt something wet running down his cheeks and he quickly wiped the tears away with his sleeve. In the same moment the door opened and Dr. Smith came in through the open door. He immediately got Terry's eye contact and smiled.

"Mr. McGinnis, everything went very well, so you can see Mr. Wayne now. Just follow me and I will lead you to him."

Terry nodded and stood up. He was just about to walk over to Dr. Smith, when he remembered the girl, so he turned around and sent her a smile.

"I really hope that your mother is going to be alright."

She wiped her eyes as the tears came up in them. Terry took the box of paper tissues, which was standing on the table next to the door, and gave them to her.

"Thanks, by the way my name is Terry."

She wiped her eyes with a paper tissue, before she looked up and smiled.

"My name is Dawn and it is me, who should say thanks."

The doctor cough slightly to remember Terry that he was there, so they quickly said goodbye and Terry followed Dr. Smith.


	3. The Case

**3. The Case**

He looked so fragile that Terry had to look down. He couldn't stand looking at Bruce, when he was like this. Bruce had always been the strongest of them, but now he was so weak. Terry had to sit down, so he sat down on the chair beside the bed. Behind him the machines were bleeping like a watch counting the last life of Bruce. The doctor had said that he was going to be all right, but in his heart Terry knew that it was the beginning to the end.

"McGinnis?"

Bruce's voice sounded so weak.

"Yes, it's me."

Terry tried to look at everything but Bruce, but still he could feel, that the old man was staring at him.

"Did you find Whiz Kid?"

First he didn't know what Bruce was talking about, but then he recalled the case. The case he had been working on last night. Yes, it was only a half day ago, but it felt like years had passed since then.

"Yes"

"Did you shadow him?"

"No"

Bruce raised his head from the pillows, so he better could see Terry.

"Why not?"

Some of the strength was back in Bruce's voice, and Terry knew the reason. He had failed. They had been working so hard on the case without any openings, but then they had heard about this man. He was the key to the case.

"Someone came before me."

He told Bruce very shortly what had happened last night.

"Did you see "Midnight"?"

Terry shook his head.

"No, not really."

Bruce fell back on the pillow. For a brief moment their eyes met and Terry could see the pain in Bruce's eyes. Was it because of him? Was it the illness?

"McGinnis, I don't know how to say this, but…"

The door opened and the doctor came in.

"Sorry, Mr. McGinnis, but you have to go now. You can come back later today in the visiting hours, but Mr. Wayne needs to rest know."

Terry stood up and was about to go, when he hear Bruce's voice.

"Thanks…"

Anything seemed to stop around him.

"… for saving me."

Quickly Terry turned around and looked Bruce straight into the eyes. For the first time in hours he felt like everything was going to be all right.

"I still need you, old man."

With a little smile he turned around and walked out of the door.

Back in the bed felt Bruce a little better. The new batman was good, but he was still needed. Terry needed him. He had seen the fear in Terry's eyes. Terry cared about him. No only like a worker cared for his employer – no, Terry really cared about him. He regretted that he had been so hard on the kid. There had been a good reason why Terry hadn't succeeded with the plan, but still Bruce had to play hard, because he didn't knew how to be soft.

o-

Out in the corridor Terry almost run towards the exit. He had had enough to do with hospitals for years to come. Now he just wanted to get out.

"Terry!"

The voice stopped him and he turned around to face it owner. The Commissioner was standing by the counter. She dropped the paper that she had had in her hand and almost ran over to him.

"Are you all right?"

He nodded.

Her eyes search his body for injuries, but as she didn't find any she took him by the arm and sat him down on a chair. She sat down beside him.

"Where have you been?"

Her voice was hard. She was angry – very angry.

"Your mom is very worry. Why didn't you answer your phone?"

Terry was looking down on his knees. The Commissioner saw it as a sign of defiance and pulled his head up with her hand, but then she saw his eyes. He was crying. She pulled her hand back like she had burnt it.

"It's Bruce. His heart …"

Terry voice was so weak. She could almost not understand him, but she understood the connection. She felt sick. Why where she always so quick to judge him? She putted her arms around him and comforted him. He was maybe Batman, but he was still just a kid!

o-

"Mom, it's me!"

He could hear his mother take a deep breath in the other end of the phone.

"Terry, are you all right? Where are you?"

He could almost feel her apprehension through the phone. It all was too much for him. He felt like he was going to throw up, so he dropped the phone and ran out to the bathroom, where he threw up. Behind him he could hear The Commissioner explaining everything to his mother on the phone, and the doctor footsteps as he came in to the bathroom.

"Terry, what do you say to, that I give you something, which will make you relax?"

Terry wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and then looked up at the doctor. What would he say if he knew that he was Batman? What a Batman he was! He couldn't stand… NO. He was Terry and then Batman.

He nodded to the doctor, who took him into a room with a bed and gave him an injection. Terry could immediately feel the drug working. Could Gotham be without Batman for a night?


	4. Back in School

**4. Back in School**

Small sunbeams, which came into his room from the open window, woke him up and within a second he was wide-awake. He looked at the alarm clock. There was still a long time until he should up, so he felt back and enjoyed the warm bed.

The last two weeks had passed by so quickly, that the things almost had floated together. After the incident in the hospital had the doctor prescribed that he needed rest. It was stress, had the doctor said, so if he didn't began to take care of himself he could get a heart failure like Bruce. He already had a too high blood pressure, so the doctor gave him some medicine to lower it.

His mother had been so concerned about it, that se had kept him home from school in the last two weeks. He hadn't complained about it, because he was not looking forward to see Dana again. What should he said to her? Beside his mother had used almost all her spare time to give him lessons in his school subjects. She was good, and it was nice to do something together with her again. He couldn't remember the last time they had done something alone together. It must have been before his parents had separated.

He had only been out on patrol a couple a times, because his mother had begun to check up on him in the night, so he couldn't get away. He knew that she just was concerned about him and beside Batman wasn't needed, so he had just let the time go. From Barbara he had heard that "Midnight" had assumed Batman's role and now was hunting criminals down. Still had no one had seen "Midnight", so the police had no leads to who he or she was. On the other hand they were also kin of happy, because "Midnight" was helping them by taking criminals down. Some of the criminals had told the police that "Midnight" had robbed them, but none of them had wanted to report it, so it had just been forgotten.

Many times in the past two weeks had Terry tried to call Max, but each time she had been to busy to talk. He really needed to talk to her, but at the same time he didn't want to press his worries on to her. She sounded so happy on the phone and who was he to kill that. She had been so happy, when her dad had asked her, if she wanted to live with him in Hong Kong for a half year. He had suddenly remember, that he had a child in Gotham and wanted to make it up to her. It had all happened before, but Terry didn't wanted to spoil it for Max. Max had always missed her father so much.

The door opened and he could hear small footsteps coming close to him.

"Terry!"

He opened his eyes and looked at Matt, who was standing next to his bed.

"Yeah!"

"I had a bad dream… You were Batman and the painted man killed you. He…"

The tears came up in Matt's eyes. Terry took him in his arms and laid him close to himself.

"It's okay. It was just a dream."

Just a dream! Terry couldn't forget how close it was to the truth. First had Matt fought his kidnapping by The Stalker was so schway, but after some time had he begun to get nightmares about it. In the last two weeks had Terry replaced the Batman-figure in the dreams and they had got a new ending.

Terry looked at the little boy beside him, who had fallen asleep. Would he ever know that his older bother was Batman – his hero? In the last two weeks they had become so close, that Terry almost was afraid that Matt could see in his eyes that he was Batman.

o-

The bell rang just as Terry was walking into the school. He had timed it perfect. He didn't want to talk to anybody, because he knew, that they all knew about his and Dana breakup. Some would be happy about it, because they didn't think he was the right for Dana, and some would try to comfort him, but he just wanted to get on with his life. They would also think, that he hadn't been to school because of that. Bruce had asked him to hold his heart failure secret, because Bruce didn't want to look weak. He had just before the heart failure begun to getting some control of his corporation again, and he didn't want to lose that.

Terry walked into the classroom with his head down. He didn't want to catch anyone eyes. What were they thinking? He sat down in the far end of the room as the teacher, Mrs. O'Brien, came in.

"Okay, just continue working on your project and remember, that your are going to present it next Monday!"

Her eyes wandered out on the class of students, who was sitting in front of her. Then she saw him.

"Oh, Mr. McGinnis, I can see you are back now. Mr. Jacobs would like to talk to you. He has been waiting a long time for you. I think he has time for you now, so you can go over to him now."

He felt the whole class staring at his back, as he walked over to the door. He could hear Nelson whisper in the back to his friends and their hysteric laughing afterwards.

He walked over to Mr. Jacobs's office, which were next to Ira Billings old one. It sent shivers down Terry's back as he remembered his fight with Spellbinder. It had been close.

He knocked on the door, and shortly after Mr. Jacobs called him in. In the middle of the room there was a big desk, which was full with all from papers to skulls, since Mr. Jacobs was also a biological teacher. Mr. Jacobs was sitting behind the desk. He showed Terry a chair in front of it, which Terry sat down on.

"McGinnis, I have wanted to talk to you for a long time now, but somehow you have been able to slip out of it until now."

He flicked through the papers on the desk and quickly he found the paper that he was looking for.

"Your absence is almost 50 and you have only hand in four assignments out of twenty-one. I sorry McGinnis, but I have to let the office know. It's only because had your have been so hard to get hold on that it hadn't happened before."

He put the paper down and looked Terry straight into his eyes.

"I know your have had a hard time lately, but as the things are now there's no way that you can pass the exam. The rules say that I must to talk to you before I let it go further, so now I have done that."

He stood up and walked over to Terry and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Terry, what's the problem with you? It's not because you are unintelligent. You just don't seem to care about it."

He looked at him like he expected him to confess to him.

"Well, I don't know…there have been so much since…"

His voice broke off. He would have said since the dead of his father, but that was not the truth. He would never came over it, but he had begun to live with it. Since he had become Batman he had seen so much sorrow and desertion, that it almost had torn him apart. He remembered the time before Batman where he just had closed his eyes for it as all other citizen of Gotham. He had excuse himself with that it was not his job, but now it was. The school just didn't seem so important anymore. There was more need for Batman that there was for Terence McGinnis.

Mr. Jacobs broke his line of thoughts.

"Terry, are you …" He tried to find the words: "…are you back in a gang?"

So that was what he was thinking. Terry would have laughed, if it weren't because he was so mad. He had only stepped beside the law one time, but he knew that he would have hear for it the rest of his life. It was just too much. Terry shook Mr. Jacobs hand of his shoulder and stood up. He looked him straight into his eyes and used the cold voice that he otherwise only used as Batman.

"Get of my back."

Afterwards he turned around and run out of the office. Out in the corridor it was like his legs could not hold him up anymore. He staggered into bathroom at the end of the corridor and washed his face with the cold water. He couldn't believe, what just have happened. Mr. Jacobs would probably now think that he was in a gang and make him to one of his projects. Mr. Jacobs was always so keen in to being a savior, but Terry didn't need to be saved. In best fall he would had to go the year over.


	5. Between two storms

**5. Between two storms**

A long time passed by and the bell rang again. Terry looked at his watch and saw it was lunchtime. He went back to the empty classroom to get his stuff and then he walked over to the cafeteria. He was not hungry, but he had to take his medicine with some food. He bought some suspiciously looking stew, but he didn't care.

The cafeteria was packed. There were no free tables, so Terry began to look around after a free seat, when suddenly he caught Dana's eyes. She smiled to him and begun to walked over to him. He felt his heart in his throat. Suddenly she stopped.

He felt a hand on his arm, which got him to forget all about Dana.

"Terry, I didn't know you also was going here."

He looked up at the hand's owner and recognized Dawn.

"Come, I'm sitting over here"

He followed her over to a table next to the window and sat down next to her. Behind him he didn't saw Dana, who dejectedly walked back to her table.

"I'm so glad to see you. It's so hard to get friends, when you are new. How is your boss?"

"Okay, he is tough. What about your mom?"

All of a sudden her eyes went dark.

"Well, the doctors have saved her this time, but what about next time… They want her to get help from a psychologist, but she is against it. It was so close this time."

He could see tears coming up in her eyes, which made him forget all about his own worries. He placed an arm around her and gave her a napkin to wiped the tears away with.

"Dawn, it is not your fault. You can't force your mom into getting help. You can only show her the way and that have you already done. A long time ago I had a friend, who also thought her only salvation was suicide"

Dawn wiped her eyes. She lightly shook his arm off and looked him straight into his eyes.

"And what then?"

"She tried several times, but in the end she found out that she needed help"

"What happened?"

"She got pregnant."

"Yours?"

He had to smile as he shook his head.

"No, it wasn't mine. She was my girlfriend, but she deceived me with an other guy."

"Did she keep the child?"

He nodded.

"Yes, but around a year after she died in an accident."

"Wow, what about the child?"

"It got adopted by a nice family…"

He took a swallow of his fiz.

"…It took my a long time get over that I couldn't help her. It was me, who almost always found her, and when I found out, that she had deceived me, was it too much. I had done so much for her and then she just stabbed me in the back like that. But in the end I have come to terms with that our relationship wasn't build on love, but on her sickness. She liked that I took care of her, and I liked doing it. It was almost sick."

"So she went to a psychologist?"

"Yeah, she and the other guy was really in love, and he made her wanted to lived for him and the child."

"But why didn't he keep the child after her dead?"

"He tried at first, because it made him remember her and he was the dad, but then he was killed in a fight with an other gang."

"Wow, was he a member of a gang?"

"Yeah, we all were."

He took another swallow of his fiz.

"Dawn, I haven't told anybody this before, so I would prefer if you didn't tell anybody about this, okay?"

She nodded.

"Okay and thanks."

"It's okay. You really help me at the hospital, so I'm glad I could help you…."

He began to eat his stew:

"…How long have you been going there?"

"A little over a week. I couldn't see a point in just sitting at home and waiting for mom to come home, so I began to go to school. What about you? I haven't seen you here before."

"Yeah, I had a break-down just after we met. The doctor says it was causes by the stress around my boss's heart failure, so my mom decided to give me some time to rest."

"Are you okay now?"

"Yeah, but I'm still on some medicine, because I have a too high blood pressure."

He took a small pill bottle from his bag and took a little yellow pill.

Dawn finished her lunch and looked at her watch.

"Well, it almost time for the next lesson. Do you know where room 414 are?"

"Yeah, are you going to have mathematics?"

She nodded.

"Then you can just follow me, since we are going to have the class together."


	6. Black

**6. Black **

The rest of the day went by very quickly, as Terry discovered that he and Dawn had many common interests. They had almost all their classes together, and they were almost each time put together as a team, because she was new and he hadn't been there, when they had started the projects. At the end of the day they talked together like they had knew each other for years. As the bell rang for the last time they were in a deep discussion about the best way to calculate Alrice's mathematical problem.

"No, you can't say, that r is the same as j. It's the hole point that j is four times as much as 6 and …"

Dawn stopped in the middle of the sentence.

"What?"

Terry followed her look and saw Dana. She was looking at them.

"Don't you think you should talk to her?"

"How do you know?"

"For some time ago was I in the bathroom as she and an other girl came in. They didn't knew that I was in there, so they begun to talk private. She told this other girl, that she had broke up with you. Well, at that time I didn't know it was you. But to summarize it: She regretted that she had done it."

"Well, but she still did it. She just rang me up on my phone and said that it was over."

"On the phone?"

"Yes, the night that we were in the hospital."

"Wow."

"So you can see why I don't what to talk to her. Even if were going back together it would only be a matter of time before this happen again."

"She really loves you"

"I know, but it's just not meant to be."

"Would you for my sake go and talk to her?"

Her looked at Dawn and saw a little smile.

"Why are you so keen on it?"

"Well, just call me a romantic soul. Would you?"

He smiled back to her.

"What will I gain for this then?"

Dawn looked like she was thinking hard about it, then she said:

"Nothing, but I think it is something you are going to regret later, if you don't do it. I know because I had been in the same situation."

"Did he also break it up with a phone call?"

"No, he just told it to all his friends, but not me."

"Didn't he tell it to you."

"No, I found out about it to a party, where he made out with an other girl."

"What a jerk!"

"No, late I found out that he really loved me, but his friends had made him done it. They didn't think I was good enough for him."

"And you point?"

"Well, if I had talked to him about it, then we probably would have end up as friends or lovers again."

"Okay, I'm going to talk to her."

"Well, now is your time."

She opened her notebook and wrote something on a piece of paper.

"Here it my address and phone number. If you have time you can come over, so we can do our homework together, or if you need someone to talk to."

He gave her his address and phone number, and they said goodbye. He went over to Dana.

"Hi."

Her eyes began to smile.

"Terry, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done it."

"But you did!"

"Yeah, but it was just because I was so mad."

She came over to him and laid her arms around his neck.

"Ter', can you forgive me?"

He shook her arms off.

"Dana, I'm not just a toy you can play with. I also have feelings."

Her eyes lightened.

"It's all the Ice-Queen's fault. She wants to have you for herself."

"Who?"

"Her Dawn your have become so friendly with. She is nothing more that a burnt-out vixen."

"WHAT?"

"She is trying to steal you from me."

"First I don't belong to you. Second Dawn is ten times more women that you."

He turned around and hurried away, so he didn't hear Dana's cry out after him or saw her tears.

He didn't stop before he almost reached the train station. Suddenly he felt like someone was shadowing him, so at a house corner he quickly turned and ran into narrow alley. He could hear footsteps running behind him. Quickly he turned at several corner in the maze of the city, but still he could hear the food steps behind him. They didn't come closer, but he couldn't lose them. Then he made a decision. If he couldn't run away from them he had to face them. Quickly he hided behind some garbage cans and waited for his pursuers.

The seconds felt like hours. He could hear the footstep coming closer. They were not running now, but they were walking very slowly. They knew that he had hid himself. He could hear them as they search the ally for him. Now he really missed the Batsuit, but he had in all his worries forgot it at home this morning.

Suddenly he discovered that something was wrong. The footsteps didn't just come from the direction behind him, but they also came from the other end of the ally. He was trapped like mice in a cat's mouth.

Now they were almost next to him. There were too many! He couldn't fight them all at one time.

"Guys, see what I had found under a rock."

The garbage can in front of him was torn away. It was a gang of Jokerz. There were about five of them. He smiled with relief. He still had a chance. One, who seemed to be their leader, came up to him. He wasn't like the others, who all were dressed in the Jokerz very colorful outfits. He was dressed in black fitted suit and he wore a mask made by some kin of black metal. He looked investigative at Terry before he begun to laugh.

"You don't seem to be so tough as people says."

The whole gang laughed.

Terry knew that they just were playing with him. As Batman he had learned to be patient, and now he really had the need for it.

"You are lucky, that our master has a weakness for you. Our master have heard about your skills and want you to join us."

"My skills?"

Did they knew he was Batman?

The leader took a cigarette case from his inside pocket.

"Do you want one?"

Terry shook his head.

The man lit one with a gentleman's style.

"Yes, our master liked the way you act. I said to our master, that it's a long time ago and people changes, but our master says that you never will changes so much, that you would lose your skills."

It was a long time ago? Well, then they didn't know that he was Batman. It had to be someone from the old gang, but who?

"You have right. I'm change now. I haven't done a job for years and I have no intend to begin again."

He could almost see the man smile under his mask.

"Our master said, that you would answer like that."

He made a ring of smoke.

"Our master also said, that you had to come by you own free will, so you have some time to think about it. In the mean time I will have some fun."

He finished the cigarette and hit out at Terry, who skillful duck down and got out of the man's reach. One of the Jokerz walked between him and Terry.

"Black, master said, that he was not to be harmed."

Black knocked him out and went after Terry.

Terry knew, that due to Bruce's hard training he was in top condition, so he only had to wait and let Black burn the steam off. His only worry was that, if the others would help their leader, he would lose.

Black hit several times out after Terry, butonly to hit the empty air. He got so angry, that he was about to explore. Terry saw it and went from defensive position to attack. With few, but precise, blows he sent Black to the ground. Before the rest of the gang had understand what just had happened turn he around and ran like he had the Dead after him.


	7. When it ends

**7. When it ends**

The young man was sitting by the window. His thoughts were far a way. Way out in the cold concrete world outside the train. In brief moments the train's neon light lighted up small spots of that dark world. The young man could barely see what was out there, but it didn't matter. He knew it all too well.

There had first been a hunted look on his face, when he had got on the train, but now it had turned angry. The old women in the other end of the train, who first had felt sad for him, now shrank back in her seat.

He hated the world for what it had giving him – or in other words – had taking away for him. He hated what just had happened. He had got so used to using the suit that he almost had forgot how to be without it. He hated himself for that.

"It was so easy for them!"

He knocked his hand down in the seat beside him.

The train came to a station and the old women quickly stepped out. Outside the train she turned around and cast a quick a glance back at the young man. She thanked herself that Gotham had Batman and hastily left the station. The train doors closed, and the train left the station.

At the next station the young man stepped of the train and walked down of the cold concrete street, which the apartment blocks created. He stopped by one and went in.

He locked himself in. The apartment was very modern and clean like all the others in the block, but today it look different for the young man. He had been living there since his father had died, but it was the first time he really missed the company of the others, who was living here. Matt teasing him about something and his mom reprimand him for something he had forgot.

At the kitchen table he found a note:

"Hi Terry, hasn't you forgot something? … Your phone!  
The school has called. We have a meeting tomorrow at 11. What have you done !  
Mr. Wayne has called. He is coming home from the hospital today and wants you to come out to Wayne Manor as soon as possible.  
A girl named Dawn has also called. She wanted you to help her with something. Give her a call!  
Matt is playing at Dylan's after soccer, so you don't need to pick him up.  
I have left some food in the fridge for you. Remember you pills!  
Love mom!"

A little smile went over his face. Bruce had told him that he maybe could come home soon, but Terry had never believed it would be that soon.

He took the food out of the fridge and heated it in the microwave. In the meantime he pick the phone up and dial Dawn's number. The phone rang several times before it got answer. It was Dawn.

"Hi, it's me, Terry"

"Hey"

There was something in her voice.

"You have called."

"Yes, I had a problem with the mathematics."

She sounded strange.

"Had?"

"Yeah, I figure it out."

The microwave rang.

"Well… I have to go then."

"Oh, Terry… what about going out tonight"

There was something. Was it sadness? He felt like she needed to talk to him.

"Yeah, it would be nice… Let us meet at the arcade on 24. Street at… 7 o'clock. Okay?"

"Okay."

He rang off and quickly ate the food and took the pill. He put the plate in the dishwasher and was about to go out of the door, when he remembered the suit and the phone. He got the things and went out.

o-

Dear Diary

What have I done? I'm such a fool. I have lost him. Why did I do it?

Well, I properly need to start at the beginning. I had just had a big quarrel with dad about my grades, my relationship with Terry and almost everything else. It had all begun, when I was getting ready for a date with Terry. I was wearing this wonderful and sexy dress, which I just had bought the same day, when my father saw me. He didn't like the dress. It showed too much, he said. Well, you know, one thing let to others and soon we were quarrel about everything. In the end I left for my date and slammed the door behind me.

I went over to Rhino's, where I was going to meet Terry. I really needed him. We hadn't had so much time together lately, so I really was hoping for a nice evening together with him. I sat down by a table and waited. I waited and waited, but there was no Terry. As the minutes passed I got more and more angry with him. How could he just stand me up like that – again!

After an hour I called him on my phone. I was about to explore. I had just justified Terry to my dad, so how in H. could he then just stand me up like that. I didn't mean to do it, but the words just came out. Maybe I wanted to punish him. He sounded strangely, so I quickly rang off.

Then it hit me. What had I done? I really love him. I hoped that he would come, so I waited at Rhino's until they closed. Maybe the next day he would come to me, so I went home.

I didn't sleep that night, because I couldn't stop thinking about Terry. He had sounded so strangely. There had been something wrong. Was it because of me or was there something else? I had to talk to him at school the next day, so the next day I went to school feeling kin of all right. I was going to apologize to Terry and we would then be back together. I could almost fell his strong arms around me.

But at school I couldn't find him, so after the 1. Period I asked Howard about him. He hadn't seen him. The rest of the day I went around asking everybody about Terry, but nobody had seen him. Was there something wrong?

Then when I came home, then I was about to call him, but I couldn't. What should I say? What would he say? So I decided to wait until the next day.

The next day was the same. Nobody had seen him. I wanted to call him, but I couldn't. Why hadn't I called the day before? I waited the whole week, but he didn't come to school. So I decided to visit him at home. I was almost at his apartment block, when I saw him coming out of the door. I was just about to run over to him, when I saw it. He was happy. Not just happy, but very happy. Something in me broke. Doesn't he love me? I went home crying.

It was a whole week before I saw him again. He came sneaking into class. He looked so hot, that I just wanted to kiss him on the spot. He was then sent over to Mr. Jacobs, so I didn't see him again before lunch. I hope there is nothing wrong. When I saw him at lunch, I knew, that I had to talk to him, so I went over to him. We got eye contact for a moment, but then I saw her. Her, the new one, took him away from me. The rest of the lunch they sat together. She was all over him. They looked so happy together. From where did Terre know her? At one time he even putted his arm around her. That bitch! Then I saw something that worries me. Terry took pill bottle from his bag. Not one like those over-the-counter drugs. No, it was real medicine. Is something wrong with him? Is he sick? Is it serious?

After lunch he went off with her, so I didn't see him before the end of the day. He came out of a classroom together with Dawn. Yes, that's her name. I asked Chelsea. Dawn said something to him. He laughed and came over to me. My heart jumped. I really love him. I laid my arms around his neck and asked for forgiveness. He turned me down. Then something inside clicked me. It had to been Dawn's fault. I shouted at him and called Dawn names – okay, I was jealous. Terry just turned me down again and went off. Doesn't he love me? I miss him so much…


	8. At the Manor

**8. At the Manor**

Terry opened the gate to the Wayne Manor and drove his cycle up to the manor, where a big black dog was waiting for him. Terry parked the cycle as the dog ran over to him and jumped up at him.

"Hi Ace, nice to see you too."

He sat Ace down and went up to the front door. Just as he reached the door it opened up and a middle age man came out.

"Hi, you must be Terry."

Terry nodded.

"I'm Dick, nice meeting you."

They shook hands.

"Well, come in. The Old Bat is waiting at you in the cave."

"You know?"

First Dick looked strangely at him, but then he smiled.

"You don't know who I am?"

Terry shook his head.

"Well, you maybe better know me as Robin or Nightwing."

"Dick?… are you Dick Greyson?"

"Jeps, that's me, but you better have to hurry down to Bruce. You know him."

Dick blinked to him.

So Terry went over to the old grandfather clock and walked down to the cave, where Bruce was sitting at the computer and was working on something. Terry went over to him.

"It was about time, McGinnis!"

"Well, I had school and …"

"Save me for you excuses. You forgot your phone!"

"What are you working on?"

Terry dropped his bag next to the Bat-computer. He had forgot to close it, so some of the stuff fell out. A pill bottle rolled over to Bruce's foot. Bruce saw it and picked it up. As he read the label a worried expression came over his face.

"Terry, is this yours?"

Terry nodded.

"Your mother said, that you was on medicine, but I had never thought it was this."

The last part he said so quietly, that Terry had problems hearing him. Bruce gave him back the pill bottle and after a worried look at Terry his eyes went back to the screen.

"Dick have had some problems with a guy in Bludhaven. He followed him here to Gotham, so he came to us."

"He has done some kidnappings of rich people back home."

Terry almost jumped five feet up in the air. He hadn't heard Dick coming.

"Is it somehow connected to the kidnappings here in Gotham?"

"I think so. There are some strong similarities between the cases back home and those here in Gotham."

"Dick thinks, that the guy is working with someone here in Gotham. After looking through the cases and comparing them together, I think you have right, Dick. There are too many similarities."

Bruce typed something at the keyboard, and a picture of a man came up on the screen.

"That's my friend."

Terry could hear the anger in Dick's voice.

"His last kidnapping went wrong. It was a plutocrat's daughter. He kidnap her, when she on her way home from a date. Well, to make a long story short. She tried to escape, but they caught her again. They did it by shooting her in the leg. Some neighbors saw it and called the police. When the police arrived the men barricade themselves in the house. In the end it came to a shoot-out between the police and the men. Unluckily some of the men got away. When the shoot-out was over the police found her in a pool of blood. The men had tried to take her with them, but she couldn't walk on her leg, so they had just shoot her."

It was silent in the cave for a moment.

"Was she dead?"

"No, but she died later due to the shot."

No more words were necessary. Both Terry and Bruce understood Dick's feelings. Dick had like them tried to protect the citizens against crimes like that, but had also tried to miss. They couldn't be all places all the time. It was something that they had come to terms with, but still it hurt when it happened.

Terry looked at the picture.

"How do you know it was him?"

"The neighbors saw him running after the girl, when she fled. They also say it was him, who shoot her in the leg. That bullet was the same as the one that killed her."

"So I'm after a killer. Where can I find him?"

"He likes to gamble. There is high-stakes poker game tonight, which I think he will show up to. It is too much a chance for him."

Terry was about to walk over to the dressing room, when Bruce stopped him.

"You don't need to change now."

"Why?"

"The poker game isn't on until 9, and if they see Batman snooping around they would probably move it. We are only interested in the man."

"That's fine with me. I have a date."

"With Dana?"

Bruce recognized the pain in Terry eyes.

"No, it's a new girl from school. Call me, when it's time."

Before anyone could say more had Terry left the cave.

"You're getting soft in your old days, old man."

Bruce didn't even look at the younger man.

"He doesn't need to be kept in a short leash like you did."


	9. Eternal Fear

**9. Eternal Fear**

The laughter from cheerful kids streamed out at him as he opened the door. He cast a quick glance at the others at the arcade just to make sure that there was nobody he knew, when a little boy caught his attention. The boy stood in the other end of the room together with some older ones, who all were occupied with a game. He reminded Terry of the old days with the gang. He had been like this kid at first. He had been so young and naive. He would have believed the older boys, if they had told him, that they had stolen the sun.

One of the older boys emptied his fiz and was about to go over after a new one, when he saw the little boy. The older boy got his mates attention.

"Guys, see what I had found under a rock."

That sentence putted Terry hours back in time. Black! Who is he? And who is Master? And what wanted they him for? He had to figure it out before their next encounter. Should he tell Bruce about it? No, it was better to hold him out of it, besides he didn't know what it all was about. It could just be something harmless…

A hand on his shoulder broke the line of thoughts.

"Hi, are you okay?"

First then he saw Dawn, who was stood in front of him.

"Yeah!"

They went over to a free table. Dawn sat down opposite to him.

"Thanks for coming"

She looked down on her hands.

"How is your boss?"

She began to play nervousness with her ring.

"He is okay. He came back home today… oh, Dawn, is you aright?"

She didn't answer, but tears began to run down her cheeks. He gave her a napkin.

"What has happened?"

She sniffled and wiped the tears away with the napkin only to make room for more.

"It's okay, you can tell me it."

She wiped the tears away again,

"Oh Terry, I'm not normally like this. It's just that I'm…"

Her words went over to tears.

"It's okay!"

He gave her another napkin.

"It's my mom. She has come back home."

"Well, that's good. It's it?"

She sniffled again.

"No, I really was hoping, that she was going to get some help this time. But now it's one a matter of time before she is going to try again."

"They wouldn't have let her go home, if she wasn't okay."

"It has all happened before - not just one time, but many times. I can't believe it anymore, that's my problem."

Then it hit Terry. The problem wasn't that her mother was going to try again. No, it was, that Dawn was living in eternal fear of it happened again. There was nothing that he could say, that would make it go away. He could only take her thoughts away from that for a while.

"Dawn, I don't know, if it's going to happened again, but this is something you should talk with you mom about. She has to know how much it is hurting you."

She said something, but he couldn't understand her.

"Come, let us play something. Maybe it can take you thoughts away from the problems for a while."

He stood up and took her by the hand.

"Hem, what should we try?"

He looked around and saw a free machine.

"What about this one?"

Before Dawn had a chance for think had he pulled her over to the machine and connected her. She went into the world of virtue reality.

They played together in around an hour. She had after the first 10 minutes stopped crying. She had 20 minutes later begun to smile. She had 15 minutes later been delighted, and 20 minutes later had she kick Terry's ass several times.

The game ended and they took their helmets off.

"Phew! I surrende!"

They both began to laugh.

"Okay, it's accepted, but then let me buy you a fiz."

She went off, before he could say anything, so he sat down by a table and shortly after came Dawn back with two fiz's.

"Terry, I don't know how to thank you."

"This fiz is a start."

"I mean it. There is some kin of strange connection between us. I'm usually not so open around other people, but you just make me feel safe."

"I have it in the same way, maybe it's because of the circumstance we meet in. We both needed somebody at that time."

"Maybe?"

Terry's phone rang. He took it.

"McGinnis, it's time. I have sent your car after you."

"Okay."

He rang off.

"Sorry Dawn, but I have to go. My boss needs me to do something."

She looked at her wristwatch and got surprised.

"It's okay. I'm okay now, besides I also need to do something."

They said goodbye and walked outside to their vehicles. Terry stood waiting by his cycle until he couldn't see Dawn's car anymore, then he press his hand down on the cycle's hand scanner. The scanner slides away and revealed a small compartment underneath. There the mask was staring out at him. Terry took the suit and walked out in the dark, who hided him like an old friend.


	10. Midnight

**10. Midnight **

"There is still no sighting of our friend."

Batman was standing on a rooftop. He was looking at the building on the other side of the street.

"Are you sure, McGinnis?"

An annoyed expression came over Batman's face.

"Yeah, I have kept an eye on the entrance door the whole time… How do you know he is not taking the back door?"

"It's not his style."

"Oh, thanks!"

Batman cast a quick glance at a nearby church clock.

"Maybe he is not coming."

"He is, McGinnis. It is a too …"

"…too much a chance for him. I know, but something could have happened."

He could almost hear Bruce thinking.

"Okay, McGinnis, take a look around, but remember to look after the entrance door at the same time."

What did that man think he was? – an octopus!

Batman flew off the roof and landed on the street. Where should he start? Where would he hide if he were a bad guy? He looked around on the old buildings. It was a good idea to hold a high-stakes poker game here in the old part of Gotham. He knew from old pictures that it used to be a very wealthy part of the city, but now it was just a nest for crime. He also knew, that this was something, which was a torment for Bruce.

He suddenly heard something. He went after the noise and quickly found two persons fighting. One of them was their friend, but the other one was a young lady. She was gorgeous. Everything on her was perfect. From her long black hair to her long legs was she perfect. She was wearing a long black silk dress with long slits, which showed her long legs.

Batman was about to intervened, when he saw her attack the man.

"Oh, Bruce, I think you want to see this."

He could hear Bruce turn on the video connection.

With a few and precisely hits did the young lady knock the man out. She then quickly searched the man after something. She found it and stood up, and then she saw him. She smiled.

"I was wondering about, when you was going to show up."

"Who are you?"

She looked hurt for a moment.

"You hurt my feelings. I'm Midnight!"

He walked closer to her.

"So, you are Midnight."

He recognized what she had taken from the man. His purse. He knew it was full of money. He walked closer to her.

"Yeah, I'm Midnight."

She was about to put the purse down in a little bag she had around her waist, when he took her hand. Adroit did she slipped away from him. Out in secure distance from him did she put the purse down in the little bag and smiled.

"You aren't getting me that easy."

Suddenly did she came over to him and kissed him passionate. Before he could react she was gone.

"McGinnis, I have called the police. Come home!"

o-

The Bat-mobile landed on the cave floor. It opened and Batman jumped out. The old man was waiting for him at the computer. Batman took the mask off.

"Before you say anything, then I would just like to say to my defense, that there was nothing I could do. I…"

A simple gesture from the old man made him quiet.

"You need training."

The old man turned back to the computer.

"Go home now and get some rest. It's going to be a long day for you tomorrow."

Terry quickly changed and walked up the stairs to the manor. In the hall was Dick waiting for him.

"Hi, Terry."

"Hi."

"How are you going to come home?"

"I take the bus"

"Let me drive you home"

"Okay…"

They went out to Dick's car. Dick started the engine and begun to drove down of the road.

"You shouldn't take him too serious."

"What?"

Terry had been away in his own thoughts.

"Bruce; you shouldn't take him too serious."

"Why?"

"He always gets like this, when he is worry."

"You saw it!"

Dick nodded.

"Yeah, what a lady. Did you know, that Bruce had kin of the same experience as Batman?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact does Midnight have some similarity with her. They are or were both really beautiful and good fighters."

"What happened?"

Dick turned at the last corner and stopped the car.

"That you have to ask Bruce about. Okay, you are home."

Terry opened the car door and step out.

"Thanks for the lift"

"That's okay. Remember to get some sleep. See you later"

"Bye."

He closed the door. With a quick wave did Dick started the car again and drove off.


	11. The Meeting

**11. The Meeting**

Pink elephants came running. He was running with them. He felt a dread for something behind him. He ran and ran. He could hear screams behind him. They came closer and closer. He forced himself more, and his steps grow longer. Then it happened. He felt.

The screams came closer. The pink elephants began to changes to bats. He felt something behind him. He felt an arm on his shoulder. He turned around. There was the one they all hat feared. He was looking at himself!

"Terry, wake up!"

He opened his eyes and saw his mother's. They smiled.

"You had a nightmare."

She caressed his cheek shortly.

"My little boy!"

He sat up and gave her a hug, which brought them back to the reality. They ended the hug and she walked over to the door.

"Terry, you can always come to me, if you have some problems, you know."

He nodded.

"Get some clothes on. I need to go now, but I have left some food on the table for you."

"Matt?"

"He is still at Dylan's. Remember the meeting with the school at 11. Oh, I have to go, see you."

She kissed him on his cheek and left.

He quickly got dressed and ate the food, but all the time he was thinking about the dream. Was he afraid of himself? Or was it something else? He had had the same dream before.

He got his things and left for school.

o-

The felt like the whole school was staring at him as he walked into the office. A middle-aged woman, who was sitting behind a counter, looked up as he came in.

"Oh, you must be Terence McGinnis?"

He nodded.

"Your mother has already come. They are waiting for you in here."

She showed him over to a door to his left. She gentled knocked on the door. The door opened and an older man came out.

"Yes, Mrs. Hills."

Mrs. Hills nod over in Terry's direction. The older man followed it and saw Terry.

"Is this young Mr. McGinnis?"

"Yes."

"Well, young man, then you better come with me. We are only waiting for you."

Terry followed the man into his office. His mother, who was sitting in front of the desk, stood up and gave him a superficial hug. The older man sad down behind the desk.

"Well, Terry, my name is Dr. Descartes. I am sorry, that it couldn't be in more pleasantly circumstance that we meet. Well, as I was explaining to your mother. We can and will no longer overlook your carelessness about you schoolwork. It's therefore my…"

It knocked on the door.

"Yes!"

Mrs. Hills came in.

"There is a man standing out here. He is saying…"

Before she could say more came a man into the room. It was Bruce Wayne.

"Mr. Wayne, what can I do for them?"

Dr. Descartes tried not to look surprised.

"I have come to give both you and Terry a helping hand."

"What?"

Dr. Descartes was obviously confused.

"Mrs. McGinnis was so accommodating to tell me about this meeting yesterday."

He sent a small nod to her and she smiled back.

"Please, sit down."

Dr. Descartes' hand was shaking a little as Bruce sat down next to Terry and his mother. Dr. Descartes tried to take control over the situation again.

"So, what do you want?"

"A chance more to Terry."

"That's not easy. He is totally carelessness about his schoolwork."

"I think, we all is to blame for that - including me."

Dr. Descartes slowly nodded.

"So, what is your idea about this new chance?"

"In the end of the school year the students have to pass some exams."

Dr. Descartes nod.

"If Terry can pass his exams at that time with an over average score, will you then let him continue here?"

Dr. Descartes thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah, we will, but that's the problem. There is no way possible for Terry to pass. He is too far behind."

"Well, Dr. Descartes, let me worry about that. Do we have a deal?"

Dr. Descartes shook his head.

"Okay, if you think it's possible, then you can have your deal?"

Bruce smiled pleased. He turned towards Terry's mother.

"Mrs. McGinnis, could I have the pleasure of talking with you outside for a moment?"

She nod, and they walked out in the office hallway. The minutes passed. Terry and Dr. Descartes just sat there. Staring at each other, but then came Bruce and Mrs. McGinnis in again.

"Sorry for that, Dr. Descartes, but I haven't had the time to brief Mrs. McGinnis about my plan."

"No sorrows taken."

"Well, I have a friend, who is principal on a boarding school. She has agreed to take Terry in for the rest of the year – to make him fit for the exams."

"That would mean that Terry has to leave the school."

"Yes, but it's only until the exams."

"Okay, if you think it's going to help Terry."

The phone on the desk rang.

"Excuse me."

Dr. Descartes answered the phone. It was an important phone call, so Dr. Descartes said goodbye to them.

o-

They were sitting at a table in the cafeteria each with a cup of coffee. Bruce was about telling them about his friend's boarding school, when Mrs. McGinnis mobile phone rang. She answered it. It was from her workplace. They needed her, so she said goodbye.

After she had left they sat a long time in stillness. It was Terry, who broke it.

"What about…you know?"

Bruce did know.

"I have ask Clark, if he wanted to help."

"And?"

"He said, that not only would he help you, but the whole Justice League is going to help."

"But…"

"Clark has told them, that you have something important you need to do."

For a while none of them said anything, but then Terry emptied his cup.

"Well, I better go and empty my locker."

"You are coming back you know."

"Yes, I know, but I just want some of the stuff with me."

"Okay, I will wait in the car."

Terry left Bruce and went over to his locker, just as the bell rang out. Students rushed out of the classrooms. Terry began to empty his locker, but then he heard a familiar voice.

"Are you moving?"

He looked up and saw Dawn.

"Yeah, I'm going on a boarding school for the rest of the year."

"Was it that bad?"

"What?"

"I have heard, that you had some problems, but I didn't fought they were that bad."

"Well, they where!"

He finished his packing and said goodbye to Dawn. They promised to keep in contact, then the bell rang for the next class and she had to go. Terry walked down the empty hallway and out of the school to the waiting car outside. As the car drove away he looked back, but he didn't saw the girl, who was standing in the window looking at him. She was crying.


	12. Empire of the Sun

**12. Empire of the Sun**

"Japan! I have never thought it was in Japan!"

Terry put his cup of tea down so hard that it splashed out on his hands and burned them. Bruce stood up and took some ice from the freezer for him.

"That's not important."

"Not important! I going over on the other side of the earth for months, and you say it's not important. What about Batman and …"

A quick glance at Bruce made him stop. The old man's eyes went dark.

"Terry, at the hospital I had some time to think over this and…"

"…And you regret it?"

Terry could feel his heart in his throat. Didn't Bruce want him to be Batman anymore? What should he then do? He knew that he had made some mistakes, but he had never thought it would come to this.

Bruce shook his head.

"No!"

Terry relaxed a little.

"But what…?"

"I have always asked for the best."

"Do you want to replace me?"

Bruce shook his head again and there were an indication of a smile on his lips.

"No, besides I don't think that anybody could replace you."

"I don't understand."

Bruce sat down again.

"Terry, at the hospital I began to think about how I started out as Batman."

"I still don't understand."

"I used several years in training to become Batman."

Bruce could see that Terry still didn't understand him.

"I want you to have the same kind training before it's to late."

"Before it's to late?"

Bruce dropped his head for a moment.

"Before I'm going to die."

"But… You … you have trained me… and Kairi!"

"You have been a good student, but you need to learn more."

"More?"

"Each fighter has their own style – their own pattern. You need to get more experienced, so you can see that."

"But…"

A simple gesture from Bruce stopped Terry.

"You know mine and some of the others', that Batman have fought with. But that's because you have fought with them in so long time, that you learn it from your wounds. You need to learn the signs, but that's only one of the things you need to learn."

"And that I'm going to learn at the school?"

"Anna, the principal, her sister is one of the world's best fighters in karate. She gives lessons at the school in karate and she has agreed to take you on her team."

"I see."

"Besides, the school is one of the best in the world."

The sat for a while in silence, then Terry remembered the case.

"Bruce, what about the case?"

"We have tried all the leads we have, so now we have only chance if they are going to try again. Clark can help when that happen."

The old grandfather clock in the hall began to ring. Terry looked at his wristwatch.

"Shit, it's late. I promised mom to be home now. I will bet on that she is going to call me at any moment."

Quite right in the same moment did his phone ring. It was his mom.

"Yeah, I know what the time is…I was just about to go…okay, bye."

He rang off and looked at Bruce.

"Well… I have to go then. Are you going to come tomorrow?"

"Yes, I need to do some more work on your computer before it is going to work."

The computer! Terry had completely forgot all about it. Bruce wanted to do something with it, so Terry safely could used the Bat-computer on it, so Bruce had asked him to bring it to him.

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

"See you."

Terry patted Ace one more time and went off.

o-

"Excuse me, sir. We are going to land in a couple of minutes, so you have to raise your seat."

Terry did as the stewardess had told him. Shortly after the plane landed and the passengers walked out to the busy airport. Terry just followed the others and with an impressive time did he get his suitcases and got thought the passport control. Out in the arrival hall a woman in a blue dress hold a sign with his name on it. He went over to her.

"Hi, are you Terence McGinnis?"

He nodded.

"Welcome to Japan. My name is Annabel Lee, but you can call me Anna. I'm the principal on Tokushima Boarding School."

They shook hands.

"I have a car waiting for us."

She took one of his suitcases and they began to go out off the arrival hall.

"So, Terence, how is Bruce?"

"Terry!"

She turned around and looked him straight into his eyes.

"I'm normally called Terry. Terence makes me feel so old."

She smiled.

"I know the feeling. Annabel makes me feel like a little girl. That's why all my friends call me Anna. Oh, it's our car over here."

She stowed him and his suitcases into the car and drove off. They had to drive for a couple of hours. Terry felt that it was very easy to talk with Anna. She must have felt the same way, because she told him shortly about her life.

She had been born in Gotham, but she had lost her parents in a young age. Her grandfather had then taken her and her siblings to Japan where he lived. Bruce, who had been her father's friend, had become like a guardian angel for her. He had giving her the opportunity to come back to Gotham and be qualify as a teacher. She had later chosen to move back to Japan, as she said, it was the most beautiful and most ugly country in the same time.

Terry told her also shortly about his life, but when he trailed to skip the darker sides of his past did she ask him out about it.

"You shouldn't try to hide the mistakes in your life. That's what makes you a human. We all make some."

She turned off the highway.

"When I read your file, I thought you would be very different for what you seem like. Parents separated and lost a father like that."

"My file?"

"Yeah, the school don't just take anybody in. We are one of the world's best schools, and it's my job to keep it like that, so I read as much about a new student as I can."

"But I thought you just took me in as a favour to Bruce."

She shook her head.

"No, I know, how the things that life throw at you can hurt. You are doing badly at school right now because you haven't had the time to come over it… but that's was not the entirely right way to say it, don't you agree?"

He slowly nodded.

"You just need some time and a different atmosphere, so you can see the things from a different angle. Right now you want to escape from your past and be one of the others."

He slowly nodded again.

"So, you told me your story, so I could know, that you knew the feeling."

"Exactly, it's important for me that you know, that you always can come to me, if you need to talk, okay?"

"Okay."

She turned into a driveway.

"See the time you have here as time off from all that. Here nobody knows you, so you can start on a fresh."

They turned at a corner and a big mansion revealed itself.

"Welcome to Tokushima Boarding School!"


	13. True Colours

**13. True Colours**

He was sitting on the bed. So it was here he was going live for the next couple of moths. It was much like home in Gotham, since the school was very western inspired due to the high number of foreign students. Almost the only Japanese about this school was its name. Well, there were also many of the servants who only spoke Japanese.

He had been lucky. The room he had got was normally only for teachers, but due to very high number of resident students had they had the need to use this for students also. It therefore had some luxury that the students' rooms normally didn't have. One of those was a small balcony. If he stood on his tiptoe he could see the ocean from there. Just a little.

Her heard steps coming up at the long marble staircase. It was the others coming back from their lessons.

"Hey man, the new one has arrived. Should we say hello?"

Terry could feel the boy's nervousness even from the other side of the door. He was afraid of something or someone.

"Nope, ain't that interested."

There was the answer. The voice was cold as ice. Terry could almost feel the chilliness. The boys walked passed his door and went into their own rooms. Shortly after did the dinner-bell ring. Terry took a deep breath. It was now or never, so he went down to the dining hall.

As he came into the dining hall it went quiet. Everybody was starring at the new boy. Anna went over to Terry and found a seat for him beside two fair-haired boys. Nobody talked for the rest of the dinner. It was only around a half hour, but for Terry it felt like it was hours not minutes. They were all just looking down on their own plates with the exception of one. One boy was starring at Terry. He was different that the others. He seemed older and stronger.

A bell rang, and Anna stood up.

"You have maybe already discovered that we today got a new student. I hope you are going to make him feel at home here. His name is Terry McGinnis, and he comes for at city in the States called Gotham. Martin?"

One of the boys next to Terry raised his head.

"Yes, Miss Lee."

"Can you show Terry our school after dinner?"

"Yes, Miss Lee."

o-

"We have the library and some of the classrooms in this end of the building."

Martin pointed at a big two-storey building. He had for the last hour shown Terry around in the maze of the school. The school was much bigger that Terry had thought at the start. He had just thought, that the big mansion, that is first had seen, was the whole school, but he couldn't have taken more flaw. The big mansion was just the font of the school.

"So you come from Gotham?"

"Yeah."

"So have you ever see Batman?"

Terry smiled at little. Martin had through the whole presentation of the school been boring, but now, as he mentioned Batman, was it like there were sparks in his eyes.

"Yeah, a couple of times."

"It's the true that he is…"

Martin stopped in the middle of the sentence and stared at something behind Terry. Terry turned around and recognized the boy from dinner. The one, there had been starring at him the whole time. He and his group of followers came over to them.

"Oh, little Martian, run back to your comics."

Terry cast a sidelong glance at Martin, who had begun to shake.

"Marco, my name is…"

Marco lunged out at Martin, who ran away. He began to laugh.

"It looks like our little Martian has begun to get some backbone."

The whole group of followers laughed, but stopped by a sign from Marco. Marco turned his attention to Terry.

"So, new boy, what was your name?"

"Terry."

"Hem, it's that kin of girlish."

Terry didn't say anything. He knew the type.

"What about Tex as in Texas? Wasn't that were you came from?"

One of the followers stood forward.

"No, Marco, he comes from Gotham. You know the city where that Batman that Martin ...oh, Martian always talks about comes from."

Marco turned against the boy. For a couple of moments did he just look at him and then he began to laugh. The school bell rang as a saviour for the boy.

"That's right, your name should be Batman. Our own little Batman."

Marco began to laugh even higher of his own joke and walked into the building. The group followed their leader laughing.

Terry had been told that the bell meant it was time to do their homework, so he went up to his room. He began to unpack his stuff.

He sat the portrait of the family on the table with a deep sigh. It had been taken on a picnic. Shortly after had his parents divorced, but on this portrait they were happy or at least they looked like it. Back at home had he always kept it in a drawer, but here he didn't have to hide it.

He continued unpacking and soon was only the bag, that Bruce hat given him in the airport, left. He opened the bag.

o-

He put the book down with a deep sigh. He just couldn't find the error, but he knew it was there. There was no way that this arithmetical problem could give that. After a quick look at the notes did he pushed it to the back of the table. He needed a break.

His eyes wandered out in the courtyard. It surprised him how quick he had got so used to being here. He had only been there for around a week and already he felt like home. It was all so easy here. It was all so simple.

A group down in the courtyard caught his attention. Even for up there could he recognized Marco due to his heavyweight building and red winter coat. When it was Marco, then the others must been his gang. Terry was wisely enough to stay away form them all, but it was hard. Marco controlled the school with an iron grip. He was older and stronger that the others because he had been forced to repeat a year or two. Terry didn't know the precise circumstances.

He was about to go back to him homework, when he saw it. In the centre of the group was there a boy. Terry knew it had to be Martin. Marco was always after him, but this time it was different. The gang throw something, that Terry couldn't recognize, around between them. It must have been Martin's, because he jumped around after it. If he came to close in getting it, then one from the gang hit him.

The anger grew in Terry. He took his coat and walked down of the stairs. Just as he came out in the courtyard landed something in front of him. He picked it up. It was a comic. He read the title. It was a comic about Batman. He felt like he had burned his fingers and was about to drop it, when he heard a voice.

"Hey Batman, give it to me!"

Marco was standing in front of him, with his hand outstretched towards Terry. Terry looked at him. Marco looked so strong and determined that Terry had to look away. His eyes dropped on Martin, who was standing alone in the background with pleading eyes. It made Terry look at Marco again - right into his eyes. Then he saw it. With strong and resolute steps did he walk over to Martin and gave him back the comic. For a brief moment a small sunbeam lighted the comic's metallic front up, and Terry saw his own reflection.

o-

He tightened the belt one more time and went into the dojo. All the others were already there including Marco, who ever since the comic book incident had done everything he could to make Terry life a hell.

A woman in a white gi and a black belt came into the dojo. The group of students quickly form a line with the highest belt in front. Terry, who only had the white belt, ended the line. The students bowed for her.

"Oss"

She returned the greeting.

"Unfortunately, I have some bad news. Miss Lee has been in a minor car accident this morning, so she have ask me to take over this class."

Terry had only shortly met Carissa Lee, Anna's sister, but he knew she was very different to her sister. She had in a very young age begun to train karate and had got the fair for it. Most of her life had she used to travel around to the best schools in the world, but now she had ended up here, where she was teaching the karate class.

They warmed up and got divided into small groups of two. Somehow Terry ended up with Marco as a partner.

Outside the dojo came an old man walking by. From time to time did he stopped and fiddled shortly with a plant. As he came to the dojo-door he stopped like he had done so many times before. He enjoyed looking at the young men's training. Many just saw karate as a sport, but for him it was art. His eyes wandered around on the well-known faces. Then he saw the newcomer. He felt the whole world whirling around him. It could not be him! A hand on his shoulder called him back. He turned around and saw his granddaughter. She smiled to him.

"So what do you think about our new student?"

She nodded in the direction of the newcomer.

"I have just come. Where was it you say he came from?"

"Gotham. It is Bruce, who sent him."

"Bruce Wayne?"

"Yes."

They stood in a long time and saw the boys training. The old man's eyes were fixed on the newcomer. The new boy had a hard time with Marco. Marco was the best one of them without doubt, but the newcomer wasn't without talent. Then it happened. Marco hit the newcomer in the face with his fist and sent him to the ground. The old man shook his head slightly. Well, then the boy couldn't be the one. The old man was about to walk away, when he saw the newcomer stand up and continue. It was first, when the blood began to flow down from the newcomer's nostrils, that the boy showed a slightly discomfort. Anna stopped the class and took care of the boy. Back in the door stood the old man. He was now sure. That boy was the one!


	14. The house next to the ocean

**14. The house next to the ocean**

Terry walked down of the small path to the little house next to the ocean. The wind played in the treetops and blew dust from the path up in his face. He reached the little house and felt like stepping into a whole new world. The house wasn't like the rest off the school, which was built in a western style. This little house was built in the traditional Japanese style.

"Can I help you?"

Terry had been so fascinated over the house that he hadn't seen the man, who was working in the garden. He turned around and recognized Anna's grandfather. He had seen him many times before, but he had never talked to him before.

"Anna…oh, Miss Lee has sent me. She said you needed some help with the garden."

The old man thought about it for a while and then he nodded.

"She said something about it. Well, then we better find some work for you."

He began to walk down a path into the garden, but stopped and turned around.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Come with me!"

Quickly Terry went after him. The old man was surprising quick on his feet and Terry almost had to run after him.

"You can call me Mr. Lee, understood?"

"Yeah…"

Mr. Lee stopped and turned at Terry.

"It is yes, not yeah or other lazy expressions, understood?"

"Yes."

o-

Terry lay down on the bed with a sigh. He had always thought no one could be more demanding that Bruce, but now he knew he couldn't have taken more wrong. He had been working for Mr. Lee in little over a week. Anna had arranged it like that, since he could take part in the training due to his broken nose.

Mr. Lee had order him around like a general. Take this pot! Move it over here! No, not like this! Put more feelings in it! Plants are living being. Treat them with care! Even though it was over an hour since he had left the garden was Mr. Lee's words still strong in his memory. It made Terry shuddered to think of next day. It was going to be a whole day working with Mr. Lee.

o-

He walked up to the little house with misgivings. He had hadn't heard his alarm clock and had overslept. At the garden gate waited Mr. Lee for him.

"What time is it to come?"

He was argy. Terry tried to explain himself.

"Sorry, I overslept. It shall not happen again."

Mr. Lee just looked at him for a second and then he began to walk in the direction of the beach.

"Come."

Terry quickly followed him. Mr. Lee walked down to the water and sat down.

"Sit down."

Terry sat down next to him.

"Close your eyes and listen to the waves. Feel how calm they are."

Terry did as Mr. Lee had told him and felt a strange sense of peace. Mr. Lee kept talking, but Terry didn't hear him. He felt the waves' sound in his whole body. It pulsated up in his body with a great energy and he felt tiredness disappear.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, which called him back to the reality. He opened his eyes and saw Mr. Lee standing in front of him. For the first time he saw Mr. Lee smile.

"Good, how do you feel?"

"Marvellous, how did…"

A gesture from Mr. Lee stopped him.

"It is still too early, but one day I will tell you."

He helped Terry up and together they walked back to the house.

o-

A little bird, which was singing outside his window, woke him up. He cast a glance on the alarm clock and felt back in the bed. It was way too early. The breakfast was first in two hours, so he tried to fall a sleep again, but he couldn't. Therefore he stood up and got dressed. Quietly he opened the door and walked softly down the stairs.

Outside he began to walk down to the beach. Somehow he felt it was calling for him. All around him was things waking up and starting the new day. He came to the beach and went down to the water's edge, where he sat down. The first sunbeams greeted him. He closed his eyes and felt the warmth from the sun on his face.

He sat there for a while. Not knowing if it was seconds, minuets or hours there had passed. For the first time in months he felt in peace with himself. He didn't want to lose that, but he knew he had to go back. He opened his eyes and was just about to stand up, when he saw him.

Mr. Lee was standing some hundred meters away from him with closed eyes. Terry was just about to walk over to him, when he started to move. Each movement came with speed and proficiency. Each movement lead up to the next and together the performed the most wonderful dance Terry ever had seen. He had seen a kata being done before, but never one so elegant.

Mr. Lee stopped and just stood there for a moment, but then he turned around and began to walk up to the house. Their eyes meet and he stopped. Terry stood up and walked over to him.

"Good morning, I was just…"

The old man smiled.

"Morning to you too. Do you want to join me for breakfast?"

The question caught Terry off his guard and it took him a moment before he answered.

"Okay."

The old man smiled again and together they began to walk up to the house.

Terry helped Mr. Lee making the breakfast. There were a lot of things he never had seen before, but they looked very delicious. Soon they sat down next to a well-provided table and began to eat in silence. It was Terry, who first broke it.

"Oh, Mr. Lee?"

The old man looked over at the young man.

"Yes, Terry."

"The thing you were doing down on the beach…"

"Kata."

"Yeah…oh, yes, can you teach me that?"

"Why do you want to learn it?"

"I…I don't know… it just feels…it looks…I don't know."

For a second the old man just looked the young one into his eyes, but then he started to laugh. He stood up and walked over to a closet and took something out off it. He then came back to the table and gave the thing to Terry. It was a photo album.

"Open it."

Terry opened it. Inside were there a lot of old pictures. Mr. Lee turned over the pages until he reached one of a young Japanese man holding a trophy in his hands.

"Is that what you want?"

Terry shook his head. He felt the weight of Batman on his shoulders.

"Good, but what do you want then?"

Terry thought about it for a while and recalled the feelings he had had down on the beach.

"I want the control, the speed, the…I want to do it like you. To be perfect!"

Mr. Lee nodded.

"Good answered. I will train you, but mark my words: It is going to be hard and I don't allow any laziness. Do we have a agreement?"

He held his hand out and Terry took it.


	15. A lesson to learn

_(Sorry, for the long waiting time, but I have been working a long time with this chapter. I just couldn't get it to be right. Finally I decided to pull 2-3 chapters together to this one, therefore several months has past since the last chapter – JoBO)_

* * *

**A lesson to learn**

"Shirimasen." (I don't know.)

Mr. Lee shook his head firmly and stared Terry directly into the eyes.

"Chigaimasu!" (Wrong!)

Terry looked down.

"Demo…" (But…)

"Shizukani" (Be quiet)

Mr. Lee showed him the series of movements again and this time Terry could see what he did wrong.

"Wakarimadu ka?" (Do you understand?)

Terry nodded.

"Hai!" (Yes)

"Yattemitara." (Try it!)

Terry tried again and could feel the difference. It was just a little change in where he placed his foot, but it gave him more stability in the movements.

"Ii desu yo." (Good!)

_(Surprise, Terry has learnt Japanese, but I will continue in English, since he only speaks Japanese with Mr. Lee and away from the school together with Mr. Lee - JoBO)_

Mr. Lee walked over to the shrine, which held the dojo's must valuable item. It was an ancient samurai sword, which had been past on to the eldest son in Mr. Lee's family for hundreds of years.

"You are ready. Come back tonight after dinner."

"Why?"

Mr. Lee didn't move, but kept staring at the sword.

"Let your apprenticeship remain a mystery and let the results speak for themselves."

He turned around and left the dojo. Terry had over the last months learnt that Mr. Lee never gave him the answer that he wanted, but he instead gave him the answer that he needed, so Terry just shook his head in respect and left the dojo.

He walked up to the school just as the sun rose in the horizon and cast the first sunbeams down on the sleeping school. Terry smiled over that thought. Due to Mr. Lee's hard training he only needed to sleep a couple of hours each night. First it had surprised him that the training and some meditation could have such a great effect, but now it was just a natural part of him.

He used the drainpipe to climb back up to his room. He held his training with Mr. Lee a secret, so he didn't use the door. He could just imagine what Marco could do with that information. After that thing with Martin had Marco been after Terry every waking moment, which meant he also had turned the whole school against Terry. First had Terry tried to fight it, but then had Mr. Lee giving him an advice: "The wise student sees the things as they are without trying to control them. He let them evolve, as they will, while he stays in the centre of the circle." It was just a matter of time before Marco was going to make a mistake.

He jumped over the balcony's fence and walked into the room, where he immediately saw the flashing light on his computer. He went over to the computer and answered the call. Bruce's face came up on the screen.

"You took your time!"

"Sorry, I was sleeping."

Terry could see the disappointment in Bruce's eyes. He hadn't told Bruce about his training with Mr. Lee. Somehow he felt he didn't needed to know… not yet.

"I have just talked to Anna and she tells me that you are doing very good at your school subjects."

Terry shrugged his shoulders. One of Mr. Lee's conditions to train him was that he studied really hard.

"Yeah, how are things going back in Gotham?"

Bruce crossed his fingers.

"That was just what I wanted to talk with you about. Anna also told me, that you aren't doing so good in her sisters karate class."

Terry sighted. He hated that class. Carissa's accident had meant she couldn't teach the class, since she had broken her leg, so she had hand it over to Mrs. McKeen, who was the woman that had trained them the day, where Marco had broken his nose. Like the rest of the school Marco also ruled this class and used every possibility to irritate Terry. A long time ago had Terry decided that he only came to the class in order to fulfill Bruce's wish, but it didn't meant he going to made an effort.

"Well, I concentrate mostly about the school subjects, so I don't have so much time for the other things."

Bruce nodded.

"That's good, but try to find some time for that also. Okay?"

Terry nodded and they ended the call.

o-

Terry made sure that his door was lock before he quietly began to climb down the drainpipe. The other thought he had lock himself in to study like he used to do, but this time it was just a trick. He quickly came down to the ground and walked over to Mr. Lee's house, where he met Mr. Lee in front of the garden gate. The light was scarce, but he could see that Mr. Lee was carrying something on his back.

"Come, we don't have much time."

Mr. Lee turned around and began to walk quickly down to the beach. Terry almost had to run to be able to reach him.

"Where are we going?"

Mr. Lee stopped.

"We are going to visit some of my friends. They don't like strangers, so from now on your name is Kenshin and you are my grandson, okay?"

The look in Mr. Lee's eyes told Terry that he shouldn't ask more, so he just nodded.

"Good, it seems like our ride has come."

He pointed out at the ocean, where Terry dimly could see a boat coming in. Mr. Lee took him down to the boat and they went aboard. Mr. Lee quickly introduced Terry to the boat's master, who was known as Mr. Chan, as the boat began to sail away from the school.

They had been sailing for around an hour, when they landed at some kind of harbor. Terry followed Mr. Lee into one of the close by warehouses, where the sight, which met him inside, almost took his breath away. The warehouse was packed with people, who were screaming their lungs out in line with the fight between two men, which were going on in at big cage in the middle of the warehouses.

Mr. Lee and Terry pushed their way though the crowd and came to some stairs, where Mr. Lee asked Terry to wait for him as he went up the stairs, which let up to a platform, where some men in suits were sitting. They greeted Mr. Lee with kindness. Terry could see that Mr. Lee asked them about something and pointed down on him, but the men shook their heads, then he took the bundle from his back and handed it over to the one of the men, who seemed to be the leader. The leader opened the bundle and took a sword up. Terry immediately recognized the sword as the one from the dojo. The man studied the sword shortly and then he nodded to Mr. Lee.

Mr. Lee walked down to Terry and pulled him into the middle of the warehouse, where the cage was standing.

"What happened?"

Mr. Lee looked in him straight into the eyes.

"We made a bet."

"But…"

They came to one of the gates in the cage, which just in the same moment was opened, so some men could pull the unconscious loser out. Mr. Lee pulled Terry over to the gate and pushed him inside the cage.

"I bet that you could win over Mr. Tong's fighter, Ryuji, who also is known as Dragon Man."

Mr. Lee pointed at something behind Terry, so Terry turned around. In the other end of the cage stood there a giant of a man with a big dragon tattooed on his chest. His upper arms had almost the same dimensions as Terry's waist. Terry could in the same moment hear the gate being closed behind him.


	16. The Sword and The Dragon

**  
The Sword and The Dragon**

Terry couldn't take his eyes away from the giant's upper arms, when suddenly it was like everything slowed down and they moved in slow motion. Ryuji began to move and Terry could feel the ground under him tremble with each step he took. Each step brought him closer to Terry, but Terry couldn't move. He knew there was no way he was going to win this battle and the acknowledgement of this kept him from moving.

He could only look as Ryuji raised his hand and sent a blow directly into his stomach. Immediately felt Terry the effect of the blow and felt down on the floor like a sack of potatoes. Everything went black around him, but he could still feel the hands pulling him out of the cage and hear the laughter, which surrounded him.

"The weak defeats the strong, when he uses the strong one's own power against him."

He recognized Mr. Lee's voice. Terry tried to say something, but instead he threw up. He felt like a truck had hit him.

"Don't speak. Drink this!"

Mr. Lee held a cup up to Terry's mouth and made him drink some really bad tasty liquid, which Terry wanted to throw up, but the tone in Mr. Lee's voice made him swallow it. Immediately he felt better and his sight came back. He saw that he was lying in the bottom of the boat, which was sailing them back home, but when he tried to stand up pushed Mr. Lee him down again.

"The mixture is good, but not that good. Sleep is the best healer."

Terry surrendered and closed his eyes. The sleep came quickly over him like a security blanket and brought him far away from what he knew.

The sun warmth his face, but it also blinded him at first as he opened his eyes. After some seconds he was able to see and he realized that he wasn't in the boat anymore, but instead he was sitting on the top of a mountain.

"KENSHIN!"

He quickly turned around as he felt he like somehow had recognized the voice, but still he couldn't place it. He then saw the rider, who forced his horse up the steep mountainside. Instantly his hand reach out and grabbed something beside him. He looked down and recognized the sword.

o-

At the beginning he didn't knew where he was, but then he realized that he was in Mr. Lee's house. In the same moment came Mr. Chang into the room and smiled as he saw Terry had woke up.

"Good, you are awake and just in time for dinner."

Terry sat up with a jerk.

"Dinner? But I…"

Mr. Lee smiled.

"Don't worry. Mr. Lee has told the school that he was going to need your help today, so just take your time and lick your wounds."

Terry shook his head and began to dress himself.

"No, I need to win my sword back…"

Their eyes met.

"… Can you take me back to that place?"

"Why? You will just end up being killed or something."

Terry shook his head.

"No, I wouldn't, beside it's not your price to pay."

Mr. Chang shook his head over the craziness in the boy's wish, but then he agreed.

"I will get the boat, so be down on the beach in five minutes."

Mr. Chang quickly left the house and Terry took the rest of his clothes on, then he walked over to the dojo, where he immediately walked over to the shrine, where the sword used to be. In the dim light he looked up on the image, which hang over the shrine. He had seen it so many times before, but this time it almost took his breathe away as he recognized the scenery. He then remembered why he was there and kneeled down before the shrine. For a second he just sat there and gathered his thoughts to the nearby fight. He then left the dojo and walked down to the beach, where he went aboard the boat.

After sailing for almost an hour they came to the harbour, where Terry quickly went ashore and walked into the warehouse. It was like the night before packed with people, but Terry didn't have eyes for that. He pushed his way though the crowd and quickly came to the stairs, which he tried to climb, but a man stopped him.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"I need to talk to Mr. Tong!"

The man turned his attention to Mr. Tong, who like the night before was sitting on the platform. Mr. Tong nodded. The man moved away, so Terry could walk up to Mr. Tong, who stood up and greeted him.

"I surprised to see you here after what happened yesterday, but what can I do for you?"

"I want an another chance."

Mr. Tong began to laugh.

"It was Kenshin, right?"

Terry nodded.

"Why do you want to gamble with your life like this?"

"I want the sword back!"

They eyes met. For a second none of them said anything, but then Mr. Tong smiled.

"Okay, I'm short on fighters tonight, so I will grant your wish…"

He cast a glance down on the cage.

"… It looks like there is room for you now."

Terry nodded and walked down the stairs. On his way over the cage he could hear the crowd's amazement as they recognized him, but he didn't notice it. He wasn't the same one as the one who yesterday had lost without a fight. He climbed into the cage and heard the familiar sound of the gate being closed behind him. He saw the surprise in Ryuji's eyes as he recognized him.

"Have you come back for more?"

Terry just smiled and said nothing.

The fight began. Like the last time began Ryuji with running over to him, but this time was Terry ready. In the last moment he stepped aside, so his opponent smashed into the cage's fence. A sudden silence came over the crowd as the realized what had happened, but then it exposed into cheers as they realized what a fight they were witness to.

Ryuji came up on his feet again and tried once more to run Terry over with his strength, but this time was Terry waiting for him. Instead of stepping aside he sent a faultless kick to Ryuji's knees. It hit its target perfectly and Ryuji felt down with a cry. There was no way he was able to fight again, so Terry was the winner.

The crowd went crazy. Everyone wanted to touch the new champion, so Terry was glad to see that the man from the stairs came after him. The man followed him up to the platform, where Mr. Tong was waiting for him. Mr. Tong nod approvingly as Terry came up the stairs.

"You're full of surprises. We had a bet going on an everyone except my son, Yukio …"

He nodded over at a boy around the same age as Terry.

"…thought you were going to lose again."

Terry smiled.

"I glad that your all believed in me."

Mr. Tong began to laugh.

"Not only are you are good fighter, but you also have a splendid sense of humour. Please sit down, so we can speak about your future."

Mr. Tong showed him a chair, but Terry shook his head,

"I don't fight for money, beside I only came to get my sword back."

Mr. Tong nod admiringly.

"Normally, I don't like, when people contradict me, but with you I will make a exception. You sure have been giving the right name, Kenshin."

With a gesture from Mr. Tong stood his son up and placed the sword in Terry's hand. It was the first time he held the sword, but he instinctively swung it as he recognized its weight in his hand.

"Not only are you an excel hand to hand combatant, but also seem like you are an outstanding swordsman."

Surprised looked Terry over at Mr. Tong, but then he realized what he was doing. He had never been train in the uses of swords, but instinctively he just knew what to do.

* * *

_(As Mr. Tong says Kenshin is the right name. It means "sword heart" from Japanese ken "sword" and shin "heart". Like Ryuji really means "dragon man" – JoBO)_


	17. Bad News

**  
Bad News**

He walked into the dojo just as the sun rose in the horizon and cast the fist sunbeams down on the sword in his hand. He had for the last couple of hours been sitting down on the beach. Trying to figure the secrets of the sword, but without any luck and it had only giving him more questions. He knew it was now time for him to return the sword to its place, so he walked over to the shrine, where he placed the sword.

"You succeeded in bringing it back. Ii desu yo."

Terry turned around and saw Mr. Lee, who stepped out of the shadows in the dojo.

"Hai, so it was just a test?"

Mr. Lee nodded.

"I needed to know, if you really are The One."

"What do you mean?"

Mr. Lee just smiled.

"You will know, when it's time, but now you have other commitments."

After the last word he turned around and left the dojo. Terry, who didn't understand anything, ran after him, but when he came outside the dojo was there no sight of Mr. Lee. It was like he had disappeared into the air.

Terry sighted deeply and began walking up to the school, when he suddenly heard someone cry after help in Japanese. Quickly he began to run in the direction to where he believed the call came from. Not long after he saw Marco and his group of followers standing in a circle around a little boy, who Terry first believed was Martin, but then he realized it must been one of the housekeepers sons, since he spoke Japanese. Marco and his followers pushed the little boy between them as they make fun of him.

"Just speak English or else we will never let you go."

"Tasukete!" (Help!)

Terry walked closer and met the little boy's eyes. As he saw the desperation in them he knew that the time had come, so he walked over to the group, who hadn't seen him coming.

"Don't you have anything better to do that torture small kids?"

Marco turned around with a jerk, but when he saw it was just Terry he began to relax.

"Oh, it's just you, "Batman". Go away and let us big boys play alone."

"I don't think so."

Their eyes met for a second, but then Marco looked down as he saw the determination in Terry's eyes. Terry squatted down and called the little boy over to him. First the boy didn't move, but then Terry calm him down with speaking Japanese. Marco, who recognized the language, saw it as a way to reclaim the control over the situation.

"Well, it looks like your own little "Batman" has learnt a thing or so, but that's only what you could expect, when he mix with people like that old fool to Mr. Lee."

Terry sent him a glance, which made Marco realized, that he just had made a huge mistake.

"What do you want?"

They both knew that there was on way back now. This was going to end in a fight. Therefore Marco, who believed he knew Terry's fighting ability, answered Terry by hit out after him. Skillfully Terry duck away and got out of Marco's reach. Marco, who hadn't expected Terry to move, lost his balance and felt down on the ground. Terry walked over to him and offered him a hand, but Marco angrily pushed it away and stood up.

Terry could almost see the steam coming out of Marco's ears as he angrily attacked Terry again. Marco had now forgot everything he ever had learnt about fighting and just wanted to take Terry down. Terry, who had seen the changes in Marco, knew that he better had to do something, before Marco was going to hurt himself. Therefore he quickly reached out and pressed some points in Marco's neck as Marco came racing towards him like an angry bull. It immediately had an effect on Marco, who felt to the ground and was paralyzed.

The other boys, who had been spectators to the fight, walked frightened back as Terry stepped over to Marco and undid the pressure he had done to Marco's Qi. Terry knew how serious it could be, if he didn't do that, even though liked the idea a little. Instantly Marco was able to move again, but felt like all the energy in him had been sucked out of him.

"What is happing here?"

They turned around and saw that Anna came walking down from the school. None of them said anything as she came over to them. Terry sighted as he realized he was going to take the fall for this, but then something happened, which took him by a surprise. One of the boys from Marco's group stepped forward.

"It was Marco, miss Lee. He attacked Terry as Terry was walking back from the dojo. Terry tried no to fight him, but in the end he had to stop him."

Anne frowned her eyebrows, but she didn't said what she was thinking. Instead she looked over at Marco, who still was lying on the ground.

"We will talk about this later, but take Marco up to his room and then go down for your breakfast. I need to talk with Terry."

Happy that it was over the boys lifted their former leader up and carried him away between them. Anna turned to Terry and shook her head.

"Sheep! That is what they are. They are so keen on following, that they changes sides in a heartbeat."

"You saw what happened?"

She nodded.

"I have been watching you for a long time and I was wondering, when you was going to put him in his place."

"What do you mean?"

"Come let us walk down to the beach…"

She walked over to Terry and laid an arm around him arm. They began to walk down the path.

"…Marco has always been afraid of you. Normally he can quickly get the control over the new ones, but you never gave in. That had never happened before and it scared him. With each day you have been here he has felt his control over the school weaken."

Terry stopped.

"But if you know, why don't you just stop it?"

She looked over at him with a sad look in her eyes.

"You saw how quickly they were to change sides. They need a leader and they chosen Marco to that role. If I took him away from them, then he will just raise in their minds. I hope someday that they will be able to see the person that he really are, but in the mean time there is nothing I can do…"

She began to walk again.

"… I can only try to control the things, but still I can't be everywhere. Beside Marco's is a paying student. I need to have some of those to survive, but that was not what I wanted to talk with you about."

They had reached the beach, so they sat down in the sand. Anna looked over at him with at worried look in her eyes.

"Bruce has just called."

Terry looked down.

"I know that he is disappoint with…"

A gesture from Anna made him stop.

"It's not that… Your mother has been admitted to the hospital. She passed out at work and it seems to be something very serious."

He looked up on her with disbelief in his eyes, so she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I have arranged it with Bruce, so you fly back to Gotham tonight."

She gave him a hug and left him to be alone with his thoughts.


	18. Back in Town

**  
18. Back in Town**

He quickly walked pasted the front desk and over to the hallway, where Bruce had told him his mother room was, but then he stopped. In the middle of the hallway stood a little boy, who was looking at a closed door. If he hadn't knew better, then he would never had guessed that this little boy was his brother. The eyes were red from crying and his hair was a mess. The clothes bore traces of having been slept in more that once and the look on his face was hopelessness.

"Matt?"

He turned around and Terry saw the changed in the boy as he recognized him. Immediately Matt ran over to him and jumped into his arms, where he started crying. Terry, who was surprised that the younger boy still had tears left, tried to comfort him, but soon he also felt something wet running down his own cheeks. They stood like that for a long time, but then there was longer and longer time between Matt's snuffles. After a while Matt wiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked up at Terry.

"Is mom going to die?"

Terry was just about to tell him a little white lie, but then he saw the look in his younger brother's eyes. Suddenly he felt like he hadn't just been away for a couple of month, but that years had past since the last time he had looked into those eyes. Matt wasn't the young innocent boy that he had left anymore. Maybe he never had been innocent.

Terry kneeled down and looked him straight into the eyes.

"I don't know, Matt. That's why we need to be strong for her now as she was strong for us, when we needed her."

Matt nodded and gave Terry a hug.

"I'm so glad you are home now, Terry. I have missed you."

"I have also missed you."

They heard someone coming into the hallway and ended the hug. Terry looked up and saw a middle-aged woman, who walked over to them.

"Hello, you must be Terry, Matt's older brother…"

Terry nodded.

"… My name is Mrs. Torres. I'm Dylan's mother, but enough about that. Your mother heard you speaking and wants to see you."

Terry didn't say anything, but looked down at Matt. Mrs. Torres smiled comforting.

"I can look after Matt in the meantime, if you want that."

Terry nodded and walked over to the open door, which Mrs. Torres just had came out of. He was just about to walk through it, when he hesitated as he remembered the last time he had been in the hospital. Months had past since then, but the memories were still fresh in his mind.

"Terry?"

Her voice, which was so weak, broke his line of thoughts and he walked over to her bed, where he took her hand. She had lost a lot of weight, since he last had seen her, and she barely was able to sit up in the bed, but her face lighted up as she saw him.

"Yes, it's me, mom."

She touched his face with her free hand.

"My boy, you have grown so much that I almost couldn't recognize you."

He sat down on the bed next to her.

"Why didn't you tell me that you had cancer? I could have stayed home and…"

She put a finger over his mouth to silence him.

"You couldn't have done anything, besides you needed to get away. Look at you. You have become a handsome young man."

He was just about to say something, when Matt and Mrs. Torres came into the room. Mrs. Torres looked over at them with an apologetic look in her eyes.

"Sorry, but they have some sort of emergency at work, so I have to go now."

Mary smiled understanding.

"That's alright, but thank you so much for taking care of Matt the past days."

They said goodbye to Mrs. Torres, who left the room just in the same moment as Bruce and the doctor came. The doctor immediately walked over a checked the machines, which showed Mary's condition, and then he looked over at her and smiled.

"It looks like you should have your son coming home from boarding school more often."

They all laughed, but stilled the laugher was depressed by the situation. The doctor walked over to the door, but stopped in the doorway and turned around.

"I'm sorry, but it's way over visiting hours. You can have five minutes more, but then you all have to go."

They all nodded and the doctor left the room.

Bruce was just about to walk out of the room, when Mary called him back.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Wayne, that you are willing to take care of my two boys while I'm here at the hospital."

Bruce looked over at her.

"That's no problem, Mrs. McGinnis. I tend to feel a little alone in that big mansion sometime, so it's going to be interested to get some company."

No one saw Terry shaking his head lightly as Bruce left the room. He knew Bruce better. It had taken him a lot to offer this to them.

o-

He walked down the stairs to the batcave. It all looked liked it used to, but still it felt different in his eyes. It was first now he realized how much he really had missed being Batman, so he walked over to the showcases, which held the suits, and opened the one with his in it. There laid a fine layer of dust on the suit, which he hadn't seen on it since he first had taken the suit from Bruce. He then got the feeling that someone was standing behind him.

"How long are you going to stand there, before you were going to say something?"

He turned around and looked the astonished Bruce directly into the eyes.

"You knew that I was standing here?"

Terry nodded as he closed the showcase after he had taken the suit out of it.

"Yeah, you walk around like a elephant."

Bruce raised his eyebrows.

"Then you actually learnt something over there."

Terry smiled and walked over to the dressing room.

"Maybe or maybe you are just getting old."

Bruce began to laugh, but stopped as he realized what Terry was doing.

"You can't go out on patrol. Not tonight. You have just come back from Japan."

Terry, who now had changed, walked over to the Batmobil. He cast a last glance back at Bruce before jumping into the car.

"I need to get out there again."

He jumped into the car, which he then started and flew away. Back in the cave stood Bruce and looked as the car flew out of his sight, then he smiled and walked up the stairs to the mansion.


	19. The New Boy

_(Thanks for the reviews, VelvetShadow. It's nice to hear that someone still is reading this old story ;) – JoBO)_

* * *

**  
The New Boy**

Dana was walking up the stairs to the school's front door, when she suddenly heard someone call out her name behind her. She therefore turned around and discovered Blade, who was walking behind her.

"Hi Dana, there was this very important party in weekend, which I just had to go to, so…"

Dana, who knew where this was going, finished Blade's sentence.

"So you want to "borrow" my homework."

Blade smiled.

"I knew that you would help me. It's just that Nelson is such a Dreg. He actually thought I was going to come back to him after all that with Mina, but I do have morals. Still he…"

She was interrupted by someone behind them.

"It's actually really sad, that we don't have any cool guys here on the school, so we need to be contented with ones like Nelson."

Dana and Blade turned surprised around and discovered that Chelsea was standing behind them. Dana shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I don't care."

Blade looked surprised over at her.

"You don't care! Please, don't tell me that you still are thinking about Terry!"

Dana looked down on her hands.

"What if I do?"

Blade rolled her eyes.

"Look honey, they threw him out and no one have seen him for months. I say it's about time you get over him and starts dating again…"

She looked over at Chelsea.

"…By the way, Chelsea, have you found out something about the new boy?"

Dana looked up.

"A new boy?"

Chelsea nodded.

"Yeah, the rumours says that there are going to start a new boy here today, so I have just been down on the office in a attempt to find out who he is, but either nobody wants to talk about it or nobody knows who his is."

"I think we are going to find that out very soon."

Chelsea and Dana looked surprised over at Blade, who was staring down at the school's parking lot. They followed her glance and saw a black sports car drive up to the school's driveway. In the same moment came Nelson out of the door. He walked over to Blade and laid an arm around her.

"What's up, babe?"

Blade shook his arm away without taking her eyes away from the car. Nelson followed her look and saw the black sports car. He shook his head in admiration.

"That is what I call a car!"

The black sports car parked in front of the school as Dana was about to walk away. Why should she care who this boy was? She had just turned around and was about to walk away, when she heard the other's surprised gasps. She cast a glance back at the sports car and recognized him at once even though he had changed a lot. Her heart began to beat faster as he began to walk up the stairs. Their eyes met for a second and she was surprised over how different the look in his eyes was. She couldn't read it anymore. He walked passed her and vanished through the front door.

None of them said anything for a while, but then it was Chelsea, who broke the silence.

"Was that really…?"

Dana nodded.

"Yes, that was Terry."

o-

Terry walked into the classroom just as the bell rang and found a seat in the back of the class. He had smile as he remembered the last time he had been there. Only months had past since then, but he had changed so much. Back then he had been so afraid of what they others had been thinking, but after the whole Marco-thing he didn't cared about that anymore. At least this was better that just sitting at the hospital and wait for his mother to get better.

His eyes landed on Dana's back. He had thought that he was over her, but as he had seen her out on the staircase all the feelings had come back. Maybe the only reason he hadn't thought more about her in the last months was that he really missed her.

Mrs. O'Brien came into the room and cast a quick glance out on the students in front of her, before she walked over to the blackboard, where she started writing something down. The students sighted as they realized was she was writing.

"Yes, my bright students, we are going to have a surprise test today, so I really hope you have listened, because it's not going to be easy."

She walked over to her computer, where she typed something on the keyboard.

"Okay, you have until the end of this class and everyone, who so much as think about cheating, is going to write me a essay over the subject."

She cast a quick glance out of the class, before she pressed "okay" and the test was sent out to the students.

Terry opened the test on his computer and smiled with relief. They had just had about the same subject on the boarding school, so he answered the questions easily and was finish way before the time ended. After answering the last question he sent the test back up to Mrs. O'Brien, who looked surprised back at him. He sent her a smile, which she dimly returned.

The rest of the time he used to look through the stuff he had got from the school's office, which were lists over what they others had read while he had been away. He quickly read it through and realized that he had read almost the same things at the boarding school.

The bell rang and Terry walked out in the hallway to his closet, which he opened.

"So it's really true!"

He closed the door to his closet and saw to his surprise that Max was standing behind it. Her hair was a little longer and it wasn't pink anymore, but still you couldn't mistake her for anybody else.

"What are you doing here?"

She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Well, that wasn't the reaction I was hoping for, but still its nice to see you too, Terry."

He laughed.

"Of course it's nice to see you, but I just thought you still were in Hong Kong with your father."

Max smile became a little tight.

"Well, to make a long story short. Like the last time he forgot all about me after a while, so I thought it was better if I just went back to Gotham. And that brings us back to you! What is this thing about you have been thrown out?"

Terry smiled evasively. He had emailed together with Max through the last months, but as he still thought she was in Hong Kong he had then never actually told her that he had gone away to Japan.

"Well, I wasn't exactly thrown out. It's more like I was ask to find another place for a while."

Max was just about to say something, when Dawn came smiling over to them and hugged Terry.

"Welcome back!"

Terry caught Dana's eyes from the other end of the hallway as he and Dawn ended the hug. He instantly regretted that he all those months ago at almost the same spot had turned her down.


	20. The Vanishing Shadows

**  
20. The Vanishing Shadows**

A delayed bat flew through one of the cave's many small openings and landed in a dark corner just as the old man came down the stairs. His walk still had hint of its earlier strength, which had made him feared by his enemies in his younger days, but he now had to brace himself with his cane as he stopped at the foot of the stairs and cast a glance over at the young man, who was sitting by the big computer. The old man just stood there for a second and observed the young man, who meticulous read page after page on the screen, as a strange warm feeling began to grow inside the old man's heart. He had in his younger days believed that he couldn't care about someone without losing that person. Alfred's dead had been the last straw, which had closed his heart. He afterwards just stopped caring about anyone, but now as he stood there and saw this young man, who had taught him so much in the last couple of years, then he really wished that he had never had done that. Maybe he then could have saved this young man's father and…

"Are you trying to sneak up on me?"

The words broke the old man's line of thought, which made him take a surprised step back as he realized that it was the young man, who had turned around to face him. A worried expression immediately came on the young man's face and he quickly jumped up from his seat and hurried over to the old man.

"Bruce, are you okay?"

Quickly he sent the young man a reassuring nod and walked over to the computer. As so many times before his eyes quickly scanned the screen and he recognized his own writing.

"It is just your brother. He… I can see that you are reading the new cases"

Terry nodded and walked over to Bruce's side.

"The quicker that I can get back to work the better. The Justice League have really done a great job keeping an eye on Gotham for me, but I can't expect them to do my job forever."

For a second Bruce unconsciously placed a hand on Terry's shoulder, but he quickly pulled it away as he realized what he was doing.

"You have really matured in last couple of months… but right now you job is to drive yourself and your brother to school."

Terry hastily cast a glance down on his wristwatch and saw to his surprised how late it was. He quickly walked over to the stairs, but he stopped at the foot of them and looked back at the old man.

"I have never thanked you for taking Matt and me in. I really don't know what we should have done, if you hadn't done that."

Bruce sent him one of his scarce smiles.

"It seems that I have a soft spot for stray cats."

Terry laughed as he walked up the stairs to the mansion.

-o-

There was a very gloomy atmosphere in the car as they drove down the manor's driveway and it wasn't help by the rainy weather, which now had laid over Gotham for days. Terry took his eyes away from the road for a second and cast a quick glance over at the young boy, who was sitting in the seat next to him. Matt, who always had been such an outgoing boy, was now sitting quietly in his seat and stared out of the windscreen with empty eyes.

"Have you made all your homework?"

Matt made a small movement with his head, which Terry took as a yes, but otherwise he didn't move a muscle. Terry was just about to turn his attention back to the road, when he saw a tear fall down Matt's cheek. As a reflex Terry wiped the tear away with his hand and he was just about to pull his hand back, when grab Matt it.

"She is going to dead like dad…"

Matt's voice died as Terry quickly drove into the side of the road and stopped the car. He turned towards Matt and met his pleading eyes as he tried to put his own fear aside.

"She is… she is…"

He knew what Matt wanted him to say, but he couldn't get the words over his lips. Matt had grown a lot since their father had been killed, so maybe… A small hope rose in Terry, but only one look at Matt's face killed it. Matt wanted him to tell that everything was going to be all right. That even thought the world was going to change, then Matt's small world was going to stay like it was. It would have been the easy way. Just telling Matt what he wanted to hear, but the problem was that Terry couldn't get himself to do it. He couldn't lie anymore. He had to tell the truth. In that moment he realized that maybe their mother really was going to die. The doctor had said a couple of months, but he had never believed it – not before now.

Matt wiped the tear away from Terry's cheek. Maybe he just to be sure that it really had been there, but it woke Terry from his thoughts and as their eyes met, then there was no longer any need for words and they met in a hug. They sat there close together for a long time as the raindrops methodically felt down on the car, but they didn't hear them. It was first, when Terry's mobile phone began to ring, that they ended the hug and Terry quickly answered the phone. It was Bruce.

"Is there anything wrong with the car?"

Terry was first very confused, but then he realized that Bruce still was able to see them up from the manor.

"No, I just thought that I saw something in the scrubs, but it turned out to be nothing."

In the other end Bruce seemed to accept his excuse and ended the call as Terry quickly started the car and began to drive again. The atmosphere in the car was now completely changed, but Matt was still very quiet. They were almost at his school before he began to talk.

"I can't… I can't remember dad anymore."

"Didn't the photo album help?"

Matt shook his head lightly as he answered without looking at Terry.

"Not anymore. He is just a vanishing shadow and I don't want the same thing to happen to mom. I don't want to lose her as I have lost him."

Terry could hear on the tone of Matt's voice that he was very serious, so he drove in to the side and stopped the car again.

"Matt…"

He hesitated as he realized that he hadn't thought about their father for months. Not even Matt, their mother or his friends here in Gotham had he thought about very much as he had been on the boarding school. He had been too busy. Was that how it is growing up? Or had he just ran away from his problems and had hoped that he never had to look back? The only thing he actually knew was that this young boy really needed him now as well as in the future.

"…we… you can't never lose him and he will always be in your hearts. Maybe you can't remember how he looked like, but that is naturally. You lived with mom and was very young back then, but now…"

He couldn't get himself to say the words. Even to think the thoughts was too much for him, so he broke the eye contact with Matt and looked out through the windshield instead. Somehow the few words had been enough for the young boy and he opened the car door, but before stepping out he sent Terry a furtive glance.

"You almost looked liked dad, when you said that. I can remember…"

Matt stopped himself for a second and smiled as he realized what he was saying.

"He is still there! I can still remember him!"

The school bell rang, so Matt quickly said goodbye and ran over to the school, which he reached just as the gate was about to close.

Terry just sat there for a while as he tried to get control over his own thoughts. He was so far away in his thought, but he didn't realized that before one stray tear from his cheek ran landed on his hand and woke him up. Quickly he started the car and drove over to his own school as he cursed himself. He was going to be late – really late – and it wasn't the first time.


End file.
